Start-up Fables No. 2: My Little Unicorn

My Little Unicorn

By Stuart Hillston

Once upon a time, in a world quite unlike our own, there was a young horse called Bob. Young Bob cared about one thing, and one thing only – Unicorns. When he grew up he just knew he was going to be a Unicorn and so he thought about very little else.

Every day he told every stable mate who would listen (and quite a few who wouldn’t) “When I grow up I’m going to be a Unicorn”. He didn’t actually know what a Unicorn looked like (and neither did any other creature on the farm).

In the stables and around the farmyard where Bob lived, his ambition became the local joke. Behind his back they sniggered and laughed and said “Foolish Bob, everyone knows that Unicorns are mythical beasts”. And to his face they said “My! Little Bob you are growing up so big and strong, just like a Unicorn”.

As he grew up, so Bob came to believe he was a Unicorn. There were no mirrors in the farm yard, and the water trough was never still enough for him to see his reflection (not that he knew what a Unicorn looked like). All the other animals told him to his face that he was a fine Unicorn. Whilst everyone else knew the truth, Bob was happy and as a result lived a long and fulfilled life.

By the time Bob went to meet his maker, none of his original stablemates were alive. Bob was indeed a unique animal – and a very happy one at that.

Moral: Obviously Unicorns are mythical and everyone will take great delight in telling you so. But belief is a powerful thing, and just because they are mythical doesn’t mean they can’t exist. The difference between those with belief, and those without, is as plain as the horn on your head.

Stuart Hillston

Stuart's first twenty working years were spent in the IT industry in the UK and USA. His first start-up experience with a British software company which exited twice – a trade sale in both cases. He went on to form several other IT service companies and has been directly involved in early stage companies ever since.

He has managed investment in a London based family office and has worked in an FSA regulated brokerage & fund management business investing in pre-IPO companies, particularly AIM. During this time Stuart was involved in 4 flotations and a trade sale as exits for investors.

Most recently, Stuart founded an advisory company for early stage technology businesses to enable them to grow and achieve their potential through great management, a focussed go-to-market strategy and sufficient funding to achieve their goals. This often includes hands-on involvement in the formative stage of the business.